Russia steps up ’gray zone’ attacks across Europe as NATO tensions rise

Investing.com -- Russia has intensified suspected sabotage, drone incursions and cyberattacks across Europe as Moscow seeks to pressure NATO countries supporting Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported.

European authorities have linked Russia to a growing series of hostile activities that fall short of conventional warfare, including drones entering NATO airspace, suspected attacks on infrastructure and digital espionage.

The pace of documented Russia-backed incidents has risen to about 15 per month since April, compared with a maximum of roughly 10 in many months since 2024, according to Ukraine’s Sahaidachnyi Security Center.

Recent incidents include three explosive drones found in or near a German airport, including one beneath a Ukrainian cargo aircraft. Russian drones have also repeatedly entered NATO airspace, with one recently shot down over Romania.

Dutch intelligence agencies have meanwhile warned that Russian state actors are hacking internet-connected cameras to gather information about aid shipments to Ukraine.

The campaign comes as Ukraine increases long-range attacks inside Russia, targeting the country’s oil and gas infrastructure and other industries supporting Moscow’s war effort. European officials believe Russia is seeking to discourage military assistance to Kyiv and deepen divisions within NATO.

Concerns about escalation have reached Washington. CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unexpected visit to Moscow on Tuesday, partly to reinforce U.S. support for NATO allies, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the trip.

New U.S. intelligence assessments indicate Russia could seek to test NATO’s collective-defense commitments with a limited attack on a member state within the next few years. Possible scenarios range from a cyberattack to a small-scale ground incursion.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has rejected Western claims about potential Russian attacks on NATO, arguing that they are being used to justify Europe’s military buildup.

The suspected campaign has so far shown limited signs of weakening European backing for Kyiv, with NATO’s eastern members remaining among the strongest supporters of military assistance to Ukraine.